American Pimp

I've always had a guilty curiosity about the life of a pimp. Of course, we have those "pimp stereotypes" in films like "The Mack" and "Willie Dynamite." But do we really, really know ALL about this lucrative, though immoral, profession? Thanks to the Hughes Brothers, now we do.

First of all, this well-made documentary doesn't glorify the life of street pimps. I'm sure a lot of you out there (especially women) will take one look at a film like this, and say to yourself, "Why the hell do I want to watch a movie about greedy, heartless, misogynistic 'mack daddies' who make a living at degrading women for their own financial pleasure?" The Hughes Brothers don't try to take sides. In fact, the film opens with a montage of opinions (mostly negative) from everyday people about these pimps. Whether you condone the industry or condemn it, that's not the issue.

Allen and Albert Hughes do a wonderful job at intercutting the views and "days in the lives" of real pimps with clips from seventies blaxploitation flicks and topping it off with a vivid soundtrack filled with classic soul music. The film starts out by showing the more luxurious, darkly comic side of pimping. It's interesting to learn what real pimps really have to say. Of course, their vocabularies practically consist of three words: "ni**a," "motherf**ker" and "b**ch." But hey, that's how they talk. Am I going to blame the Hughes Brothers for writing an excessively profane script? They didn't write a script! This is how these pimps really talk!

As the film goes on, we learn the more serious side of pimping. We learn the pimping REALLY ain't easy. But at the same time, they're not completely heartless. When one of their "hos" die or get sucked into drug addiction, they can't go on with their lives like nothing happened. And it's interesting to see how different pimps took different paths. Some decided to quit the business and concentrate on raising their families, some ended up in the penitentiary and some (believe it or not) found religion. But some still feel that pimping is the way to go, and though it's immoral, they don't necessarily think it's wrong. We even get a brief introduction into the lives of "legal pimps." You know, those clean-cut white guys with the fancy whorehouses with quality hookers who will do anything they please for a large sum of money.

Expect to see gratuitous close-ups of female rear ends. At times, you feel as if you're watching a 2 Live Crew video. This is another film that I can consider a feminist's nightmare. Nevertheless, it's wonderfully done, eye-catching, compelling, funny and sometimes heartfelt. The Hughes meant to explore the subject without patronizing it. And I found it quite fascinating. If there happened to be a filmmaker who explored the world of pimping before these guys, then let me know. Until then, I give Allen and Albert two thumbs up for taking on daring subject matter involving an underworld of people often overlooked--or broadly portrayed--by the average filmmaker.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

I saw this last night and was surprised at how much I liked it. I have my own opinions about whether prostitution or pimping is wrong, but this documentary helped me understand why pimps pimp. Obviously there is something about pimping that keeps them in the game - money, sex, power etc. I never saw it from their perspective before. The interviewers did an amazing job of getting these guys to talk openly about what they do. I also enjoyed the colourful personalities some of the pimps have.

American Pimp, a film by the Hughes brothers, is probably more entertaining, almost in a manner that crosses between a typical documentary and as one of the film clips shown from the Mack as an exploitation film, than it deserves to be. But then the Hughes brothers have made a film about exploitation, the self-glorified glory of it, the stylish inner world that they've created for themselves and their 'ho's' that is like the mob only, well, more stylish and specific. Unlike the mob, as the film tries to show (however true to life compared with facts you be the judge) that they aren't all violent criminals, but see it as a way of life. The Hughes's- maybe wisely and not wisely at the same time- don't try and interfere with these guys and their dialog. There's no preachy message that "pimping and prostituting is wrong." They know audiences aren't completely numb to what the facts are in a (for now) criminal enterprise.

But, as I said, it's also entertaining, the kind of entertainment that comes from listening to someone you know is crazy or f***** up and at the same time has a weird, hypnotic quality. They go through telling what it's all about- the breaking in, so to speak, of new prostitutes for the pimp, when said prostitutes might leave, the ins and outs of being a new pimp or an old pimp or someone who talks a big game and may or may not mean what he says. Actually, for the latter, the Hughes's don't seem to skimp on any of their interviewees: they all appear to be genuine to the business, appear being the big word. But it's the intent that counts, and these guys at least sound the part, as well as look it, and in a dirty way these guys are really, really funny, sometimes without trying to be even due to their own self-aggrandizing. As for the prostitutes themselves, they are shown not quite as much. While it might have been difficult for the Hughes's to get any legitimate documentary footage of them, aside from a couple of moments revealed like when a pimp named RC (I think that's his name) berates a girl for getting drunk, with the menace of violence in the subtext, it works fine as it is.

It's like a candid string of tall tales from characters painfully believable, as those who think that the media portrays them stereotypically, and why not? Some of these guys ARE walking stereotypes- doesn't stop them from getting their pimp-hand on. It ain't easy, but it's almost in a guilty way insatiable.

The Hughes Brothers look into the world of pimping in America. They interview pimps and `ho's' from New York, Hawaii and all over the USA. Pimps share about how they came into the game, what they do, how they are perceived and what they are needed for among other topics.

I have watched many documentaries into the sex industry and have seen good and bad ones. The best ones are objective and they let the bad side and the good sides of any subject just come out without forcing the point or judging them. Louis Theroux is one of the better ones at this – he has done documentaries on pimps, porn and hip hop and has simply let his subjects talk – basically feeding them the rope as they want it till they eventually hang themselves without even knowing it!

With the Hughes Brothers attached to this documentary I had hoped it would be this type of thing. So I wasn't surprised when it started out glamorising the life. But I waited for the film to show me something that would hang the subjects on the bad sides of their lives. Even when the pimps talked about beating girls etc they were allowed free reign to defend themselves and were never pushed for details. Are they trying to be ironic I wondered? But no, instead the bad sides is only skated across when you compare to how much screen time is sent defending and glamorising the lifestyle.

The pimp life can't be too difficult to expose as cruel and exploitative can it? But here this documentary manages to do neither. Women are interviewed but only in the segments where their contributions are used to defend or support the glamorised version of events. But when the pimps talk about beating girls – no girls are there to put their side! Likewise I would like to hear more girls talk about how they feel to have the one man in their life called them `b*tches' all the time and taking their money.

The pimps all come out of it well despite being honest at times. The fact that all but one of the pimps are black made me wonder if it is only a black thing in America. Maybe this is the reason for the Hughes brothers bias – they are middle class and maybe their guilt makes them believe their `brothers' when they say `it was my only way up' etc. They manage to be so in awe of their subjects that they fail to bring anything of value out of this film. I know they must have been being careful not to judge or look down on their subjects, but their approach simply allows the pimps to talk – so do you really think we're going to get a full and honest picture about this business?

Overall I gained nothing from watching this and at best it bored me. The pimps simply talk game to cameras for 90 minutes and at the end of it I felt that they had been allowed to used me just like they use their `b*tches'. I expected more from the Hughes brothers.

This movie showed that PIMPS are not that mean. Sure, they beat women, don't give them a CUT of the take. The never murder though. At least, not that we KNOW OF. I loved the way these PIMPS talked. They were all like SITCOM people. It was really intense. So intense, that in some scenes you had to wonder of Bernie Mac was going to jump into the ROOM and yell something about how he wants to make a PIMP TV show. Alibaster Jones from KING OF THE HILL is a legendary pimp. He was played by SNOOP, who claims to BE A PIMP. He also played HUGGIE BEAR who is a very funny PIMP.

Good flik!